Fragments
by MrQuinn
Summary: A legendary ranger questions his own legacy as he struggles to differentiate his reality from his delusions. COMPLETE!
1. Intro

_**Disclaimer:** Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and all related logos are property of Saban Entertainment and/or Disney Entertainment. I am using these characters without permission, but I do not intend to make a profit. If I do, I'll flee the country and refuse to pay royalties. _

_**A/N:** This fic takes place in multiple timelines, some that could be considered AU. You'll only give yourself a headache if you try to pick just one point in time._

_Take a second to review, its always appreciated._

* * *

Dr. Walsh walked down the long, white hallway. Clipboard in hand, he tried to ignore the sounds coming from each room as he passed by. There was clattering, moaning, and the occasional screaming. He thought that after ten years in the business, he'd be use to it by now, but was just as unsettling every time he heard it. Still, he remained focused on the task at hand. Today would be would his greatest challenge, and if his theory was correct, his greatest achievement. In all his time as a doctor, he'd helped many troubled people, but none of them were as delusional as his newest patient. After reading over the charts, and the notes taken by the patient's previous doctor, he knew this young man was probably the most fragmented person he'd ever encountered.

Alongside Dr. Walsh was his assistant, Amanda Abrams. She was in her third year of medical school, training to become a physiatrist. Out of all the students coming in and out the school, Dr. Walsh felt as though Amanda showed the most promise, and that this experience would help her along in her career.

"Have you read over the material I gave you?" he asked as they walked down the hall.

While Dr. Walsh managed to filter out the noise and screaming in the background, Amanda was having a much harder time. She tried to remain professional, but to say that the noises weren't affecting her would have been a lie. "Um, yes sir. Twice in fact, but I'm still unsure with some of the details," she confessed.

"Its fine. Once we sit down and talk to him, we'll be able to find out everything we need to know."

When they made it to the end of the hallway, there were two guards standing in front of a doorway, each of them armed with guns and nightsticks. It puzzled Amanda that the guards would need guns, but decided not to say anything.

"We're here to talk to him," Dr. Walsh said.

One of the guards took a step forward. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to remove anything metal, or anything that can be used to harm you or himself. No clipboards, paperclips, staples, belts, belt buckles, glasses, watches or jewelry of any kind, ink pens, pencils, anything with sharp edges and high heel shoes," the guard explained.

Amanda and the doctor quickly removed the appropriate items, putting them in a basket in the hallway.

"Is this really necessary?"

"Doc, this guy has tried to escape three times in the last week, and each time he manages to take down five or six of my top guys. He's a danger to you, to all of us, and its better to be safe than sorry," he told him.

"Yes, of course," he hesitated. "How will I be able to take notes?"

"You can't. The sessions will be monitored and recorded on closed circuit, and a copy of the tape will be provided for you when you leave. You should be able to get any notes you need from reviewing it," the other guard said.

"Thank you."

The guard turned to the door, inserting his key and opening the door slowly. The second guard stood ready, and as soon as it was open, he rushed in, pointing his gun at the patient. "Don't try anything funny and you won't get hurt," he warned.

The patient laughed, almost ridiculing him. "_I _won't get hurt?" he retorted.

"Come on in doc."

Dr. Walsh and Amanda walked in cautiously, unsure of what to expect. The entire room was covered in a soft, cushion like material, no doubt to prevent him from hurting himself. There was a window at the top of the room, but so high up that no one would be able to each it. Even if they could, there were bars across the windows to prevent anyone from escaping. There were no chairs in the room, but a small area for them to sit.

"You got one hour doc. If you need anything, just yell," the guard said, rushing out the room and closing the door behind himself.

Amanda got a good look at the patient. He was crouched over in the corner, retrained in a straight jacket. His hair was long, and hung over his face to the point that she could barely see him. She'd read the files Dr. Walsh had given her on the patient, but the files didn't prepare her for what she'd see. She stood a step closer to him, leaning down slightly.

"Hello Tommy," she sighed.


	2. Denial

_**Disclaimer:** Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and all related logos are property of Saban Entertainment and/or Disney Entertainment. I am using these characters without permission, but I do not intend to make a profit. If I do, I'll flee the country and refuse to pay royalties. _

_Take a second to review, its always appreciated._

* * *

"Tommy, my name is Dr. Gregory Walsh, and this is my assistant Amanda Abrams. We'd like to talk to you today, if that's okay with you," Dr. Walsh said cautiously, sitting down across the room from him.

"I know why you're here doc, but I'm not crazy," Tommy assured him.

Amanda sat next to Dr. Walsh, quickly reviewing the paperwork he'd given her. "It says here Tommy that you think you're a… power ranger. What can you tell us about that?" she asked.

"Only that the longer I'm stuck in here, the more trouble the city is in. You have to let me out, the others need me," he said.

"The others?" Amanda whispered, leaning into Dr. Walsh.

"He believes that he and a group of others were chosen to protect the world from monsters. There are six of them of them, and every year or so more rangers are picked," he whispered.

"Tommy, you have been in Angel Groove Asylum for the last twelve years. You were never a power ranger, and there is no danger," she said.

"You're wrong. They're out there, they need me!"

"Tommy, you're suffering for paranoid, schizophrenic delusions. There are no power rangers, there never were, and the city is no in danger," she said.

"Th-That's not true, I am…"

"It says here in your files that you and five other teens were given powers by an inter-dimensional being named Zordon and we chosen to protect the city," Dr. Walsh mentioned.

"Yes."

"Why would six teenagers be picked to defend the city? If there were serious problems, why not call the local authorities; the police, the government, the military? Why six teenagers?" he asked.

"The police wouldn't have been able to handle the…" his sentence began to slur, until he simply stopped.

"What Tommy? The monsters? Your files say that you and the others fought monsters. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Help me to understand. You would fight the monster and destroy it, but they it would regenerate somehow, but this time 20 or 30 times its normal size, and then you'd have to call on the…" he looked down at his papers. "… the zooids for help, right?"

"Zords," he corrected. "And yes, that's right."

"If these monsters wanted to destroy the city so bad, why not just start out big?"

"I-I don't know," he sighed.

"It also says here that at one point, you were working for Empress Rita. Who is that?" he asked.

"She was the one who gave me the green ranger powers. She sent me to destroy my friends," he said.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but your files said you were the white ranger and the leader of the group, why would you try to destroy your friends?"

"I wasn't the white ranger until after Jason and the others freed me from Rita's spell. I lost the green ranger powers, and Zordon gave me the white Tigerzord morpher," he explained.

"Do you hear the inconsistencies in your story Tommy? First you were the green ranger and evil, then you were a good green ranger, then you lost those abilities and got the white ranger abilities, but it says here that you lost all your abilities after a green candle melted."

"I didn't lose my powers, the green ranger did."

"But weren't you the green ranger?"

"No… yes… that's not what I meant. The powers were only temporary, they didn't last," he said.

"Why would someone want to give you temporary abilities if their goal was to let you help people?" Amanda asked.

"Rita gave them to me, and the spell was broken, she tried to take the powers back, but…"

"Tommy, according to your files, there was a monster at least every other day. You and the others were called to defeat these monsters, correct?"

"Yes."

"Where did you fight them?"

"In the city, mostly in wooded areas."

"But its safe to say that there were battles in the city, right?"

"Yes."

"Battles like that would destroy the city Tommy. A giant monster and a giant _zord_ fighting would cause more destruction than it would prevent, not to mention people would get hurt in the crossfire. There's no way there was a fight every other day and no one managed to get hurt, or nothing was damaged. Angel Groove is a peaceful place Tommy, and the only major excitement is the pie-eating contest at Ernie's Juice Bar. The city is in no danger."

Tommy struggled to get to his feet. "Listen to me doc, I know how this sounds, but you have to let me out of here. There are lives at stake. Mine, yours, my friends, this entire city is at risk," he insisted.

"Let me ask you this Tommy: which is easier to believe; that you were chosen above all the others to protect the city and fight the forces of evil equipped with only a spandex costume and some martial arts skills, or that you're a sick young man who has created a fantasy world where you're the hero and you save people?" Dr. Walsh asked him.

Tommy paused, unsure of what to say.

Amanda could see it in his eyes, he was confused, lost. Whatever was going on with Tommy, he believed everything he was saying, he was convinced that he was the only one who knew what he was talking about, regardless to how the facts may have looked. She wanted to help him, but she wasn't sure how.

Tommy never said a word; he simply slouched back down into the corner.

"I think that's enough for today Tommy. Amanda and I will come back tomorrow and we'll talk some more," Dr. Walsh told him as he stood up, banging on the door to get the guards attention.

The door opened and the doctor quickly headed out. Amanda, on the other hand, stopped and stared at Tommy, unsure of what she could do, but at that moment, she tacitly decided to do whatever she could to help him.


	3. Anxiety

_**Disclaimer:** Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and all related logos are property of Saban Entertainment and/or Disney Entertainment. I am using these characters without permission, but I do not intend to make a profit. If I do, I'll flee the country and refuse to pay royalties. _

_Take a second to review, its always appreciated._

_

* * *

_

Tommy woke up in a cold sweat, his sheets clinging to him. There was a moment of disorientation, and he was a little dizzy, but it quickly passed, and Tommy found himself in his room. He quickly climbed out of bed, sliding into a pair of pants, and then headed into the bathroom. The light hurt his eyes as he turned it on, but they quickly adjusted, and he turned on the water, splashing his face slightly hoping to come to his senses.

'_It all seemed so real,'_ he thought to himself. _'There was an asylum, and some doctors. Aww man that was weird.'_

He turned to light back off, heading into his room. As soon as he approached the bed, he realized that someone was already in the bed. His mind was still cluttered, unsure, but he cautiously walked over to the bed.

"Bad dream?" a voice asked.

The voice came from the young lady who was in the bed as she rolled over, looking up at him. At first, he didn't recognize her, and but after a moment, he realized who she was. "Kim?" he inquired.

"Yes silly, what's wrong?"

"I-I.." he sat on the edge of the head, holding his head in confusion. "I'm not sure. Something is going on, and I…"

He paused as she knelled behind him, rubbing his shoulders. "Wow, you're tense, that must have been a hell of a dream you had," she mentioned.

"That's just it, I don't know if it was a dream or not. It was all so real, and it all made sense, but…" he stopped, standing up in a hurry and looking around. He recognized the room, and he knew who Kim was, but he didn't recall a time when the two of them were ever lived together, or a time where she spent the night. "… What year is this?" he asked.

"What?"

"What year is this?" Tommy repeated.

"Sweetie, you're being silly, come back to bed."

"What year is this?" he repeated, this time with a serious tone in his voice.

"Its 1997. Tommy, you're starting to freak me out here," she said.

"1997? That's the year when…" he paused. "… you came back from the Pan Globals and I gave my powers to TJ. I'm not a ranger anymore," he mumbled, trying to figure out where he was.

"That's right. Your life belongs to you now, and now we're together. We moved in together a few weeks after I got back. Tommy, baby, you're scaring me. What did you dream about that has you so confused?" she asked, walking over to him.

"It seemed so real, so…"

She wrapped her arms around him, and he simply collapsed into her arms. The disorientation was passing, and he felt safe in her arms. Suddenly, the memories of the dream he had were beginning to fade, and the more he felt as though everything was going be to normal.

"Its okay Tommy, I'm here."

"I know, and I love you Kim," he said as he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh of relief.

"Tommy can you hear me?" a voice asked.

He opened his eyes, only to discover that Kim was gone. He was no longer in his room, but he was back in the asylum. His arms were still strapped down thanks to his straight jacket, and the doctor and his assistant was standing over him in the room.

"Tommy, are you alright?"

Confused and frustrated, Tommy lunged at the doctor screaming, but wasn't able to get very far without the use of his arms. He fell to the floor screaming, crying out in frustration.

"What's happening to him?" Amanda asked.

"From time to time, he blacks out, and he finds himself back with his friends. Its common in his case, his mind is fragmented, trying to figure out where he belongs. One minute he's here, and the next he's with his friends protecting the city," he explained.

"That must be horrible for him."

"Yes, which is why we have to help him detach himself from those delusions. The sooner he realizes it all in his mind, the sooner we can get him out of here and let him live his life," he said.

"Tommy, can you hear me?" she asked.

Tommy rolled over, glancing up at her. The hair was still sticking to his face, but she could still tell he'd been crying. She wanted nothing more than to help him, then to pick him up and wrap her arms around him, to comfort him and tell him he would be okay, but she knew she couldn't. Just by having those thoughts, she'd violated one of the most important rules of her chosen profession. _'I can't be emotionally attached to the patient,'_ she told herself.

"S-Something is happening… to me. Help me," he sighed.

"Tommy, I'd like to talk more about your abilities, if you're up to it," Dr. Walsh said.

Tommy did his best to regain his composure, leaning up against the wall.

"It says here in your file that the red ranger was always the leader, but according to your conversations with Dr. Cooper a few weeks ago, you said that you were the leader," he said.

"Yes, I was."

"But at the time, you were the white ranger."

"Yes, but only after Jason, Trini and Zack left for the peace conference," he said.

"So at that point, there were only three rangers?"

"Yes… no, three new rangers were chosen; Adam, Rocky and Aisha," he said.

"In almost every documented conversation you've had, you've said that your identities had to be kept secret in order to protect your families, yet even before the three rangers left, these three new recruits knew who you were. How is that possible?"

"Adam and the others found out who we were, we didn't tell them."

"Is that the same thing that happened with Justin a few years later? You're trying to tell me that because a twelve year old boy discovered your secret, he was allowed to be a ranger?"

"Y-Yes."

"Says here that when he went through his metamorphosis, Justin would grow into a grown man, but when the fight was over, he returned to his normal size and height. Is that possible Tommy?"

"I-I don't… I mean, I didn't… its just the way it was," he sighed.

"So during this period, you were the red ranger?"

"Yes, I was the red Zeo ranger, then the red Turbo ranger before TJ took my place."

"Did TJ just happen to figure out who you were too? Isn't it just convenient that you can ignore that rule when you need to?" Dr. Walsh asked.

"Its not like… I mean, um…" Tommy became dizzy, slumping over onto the floor.

"Tommy, can you hear me?"


	4. Anguish

_**Disclaimer:** Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and all related logos are property of Saban Entertainment and/or Disney Entertainment. I am using these characters without permission, but I do not intend to make a profit. If I do, I'll flee the country and refuse to pay royalties. _

_Take a second to review, its always appreciated._

* * *

"Tommy, can you hear me?" Tommy opened his eyes, only to find he was laying on the ground. The blue ranger leaned down, extending his hand to him, attempting to help him up. "You okay?"

This time, Tommy couldn't shake the feeling of disorientation. There were in a field of some kind… or maybe it was a park. The other rangers were there too, and they were in the middle of a battle. Tommy stood up, trying to come to his senses, but was having a hard time dong it. He did realize that he was morphed in his green ranger uniform. _'Green ranger? Aww man, now what?' _he thought to himself.

Before he could get a grasp on the situation, the monster charged at him, taking him down with a spin kick. Tommy did a flip in mid air, falling to the ground. The other ranger surrounded him, giving him a chance to get up.

"I've had enough of this. Come on guys, lets put'em together!" the red ranger instructed.

"Power Axe!"

"Power Bo!"

"Power Daggers!"

"Power Lance!"

"Power Sword!"

The five remaining rangers combined their weapons, aimed and fired at the monster. The blast was enough to destroy the monster on impact. With the monster out of the way, the rangers turned their attention to Tommy.

"Tommy, are you alright?" the yellow ranger asked, leaning down to check on him.

"I-I…" he wanted to say something, but wasn't sure of what to say. His mind was spinning, his thoughts were conflicted. He remembered in great detail being in the asylum; the doctor and his assistant was trying to help him, but then… something happened, and he was there. Judging on his uniform, he assumed the year was 1995, or at the very least somewhere near that time.

"Come on, lets get him back to the command center," the red ranger suggested.

All six of them disappeared in a flash of light, and a moment later, were in the command center. It was the pink ranger who removed her helmet, walking over to Zordon. "Zordon, somethings wrong with Tommy. He just collapsed," she said with concern in her voice.

"I feared this would happen. Breaking him free from Rita's spell is affecting his powers. There is no guarantee that he will be able to sustain his green ranger abilities," he mentioned.

"There has to be something we can do."

At that moment, an alert went off, and the viewing globe blinked on. "Rangers, Rita has sent another monster into the city. You must intercept it and stop it from causing destruction," Zordon told them.

"I'll stay here with Tommy, he'll need my help," Kim said.

"No, I will do what I can for Tommy. The others will need you."

Kim nodded. "I'll be back to check on you soon," she sighed, then joined the others.

"Back to action!" the red ranger called out, and the five of them disappeared.

"Z-Zordon, I…" he was cut short.

"Alpha, run a diagnostic on Tommy's quantum morphing sequencer, perhaps there is something we can do help him keep his green ranger powers," Zordon said.

"Right away Zordon," Alpha said, rushing over to the controls.

Finally, Tommy was able to stand up. "Zordon, it isn't my powers, its something else. Something is happening to me. I'm shifting through time, but each time I… I mean, the time periods I've been to… they aren't…" before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed to the floor again.

"I detect no quantum abnormalities Zordon. Whatever is happening to him, he isn't shifting through time," Alpha brought up.

"The disorientation are you feeling is no doubt a result of the morphing energy having adverse side effects. The green power coin was energized with evil energy, and with the spell broken, it is causing you to have…"

"What? Delusions? Everyone has a theory on why I have delusions, but I have my own; I really am in an asylum," he sighed.

"An asylum?" a voice asked.

Tommy removed his helmet, turning around, only to see Hayley walking over to him. A wave of grogginess washed over him, and suddenly, he wasn't even in the command center anymore. Now, he was in Hayley's Cyber Space.

"Its ridiculous is what it is. You are _not_ in an asylum, you were never in an asylum," she told him.

Tommy glanced around, trying to get a grasp on things. He looked down at his wrist, and there was no morpher, leading him to believe that while it was the present, it was before he'd become the black dino ranger. "That's not true," he sighed.

"What?"

"W-When I was younger, when Rita first started appearing to me, I told my Uncle about it. It freaked him out, and he sent me to an asylum to talk about it. I was only there for a few days. I just stopped talking about it, and they let me go," he explained.

"Oh my God, I didn't know," Hayley sighed.

"No one knew. I never told anyone, not even Kim," he stood up. "What if I never left that asylum? What if I've been there all this time, and all of this is just in my head?" he asked.

"Tommy, I…"

He stood up. "I'm still there, and none of this is real."

"You don't believe that Tommy, you can't. You've done a lot of good in the world, helped a lot of people. You helped Conner and the others become rangers, and they protect the city, the world. To think that none of it happened, that all of this is in your mind, is just wrong. You have friends here, people who care about you," Hayley told him.

"Do I? What makes more sense; I'm sick and still in an asylum, or that over the last twelve years I've been a superhero protecting the world from monsters and demons?" he asked.

"I know how it sounds, but…"

"I never left that asylum," Tommy sighed, coming to terms with the truth.

"Tommy, you have to know in your heart that that isn't true. You're here, with me, with the others. We're all real, not some delusion of you in an asylum," she tried to tell him.

"No, I…" at that moment, his head began to throb again. Tommy fell to the floor, holding his head in pain. The pain was more than he could stand, he closed his eyes, screaming to the top of his lungs for the pain to stop.

"Amanda, get the guards in here, something is seriously wrong," a voice said.

Tommy opened his eyes, but the light hurt his eyes. He was lying on the floor, and from what he could tell; he was in a straight jacket again. Dr. Walsh was kneeling over him, trying to tend to him as Amanda rushed towards the door, trying to get the guards attention.

"Its real, its all real!" Tommy screamed.

"What's real Tommy?"

"I'm here now, this is real," he sobbed.

Just then, the guard rushed into the room. "What happened?"

"He blacked out. I think he needs medical attention," Amanda said.

Orderlies rushed into the room with a wheelchair, helping Tommy up and putting him into the chair. As a precaution, they strapped him down, taking him out the room.

"Where are you taking him?" Amanda asked, following the orderlies.

"He may need medical attention. Don't worry, we'll take care of him," one of the guards said.

"I told you Ms. Abrams, you have to keep your emotions out of it. Mr. Oliver is a very sick young man, and if we're going to help him, we need to keep a level head and give him our unbiased support. You can't do that if you have an emotional attachment to the patient," Dr. Walsh told her.

She knew he was right, but part of her couldn't help but think that there was something cold and heartless about this way of thinking. Tommy was troubled, there was no doubt, but the last thing he needed was an emotionless doctor trying to tell him he was crazy. She knew she needed to understand what made him think the way he does, what led him to believe he was some kind of hero. Once she did that, she'd be able to help him more.

"You're right," she said.

"I think that's enough for today. I'll meet you here tomorrow. Hopefully we'll be able to wrap this session up," he said as he gathered his papers, walking out the room.


	5. Panic

_**Disclaimer:** Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and all related logos are property of Saban Entertainment and/or Disney Entertainment. I am using these characters without permission, but I do not intend to make a profit. If I do, I'll flee the country and refuse to pay royalties. _

_Take a second to review, its always appreciated._

_

* * *

_

It took four orderlies and two armed security guards to get him there, but they finally got Tommy into the infirmary. The orderlies strapped him down to the table, and Dr. Walsh walked over to him, injecting him with a needle.

"Wait, what is that?" Ms. Abrams asked with concern in her voice.

"Its just a sedative to keep him calm. It appears that Mr. Oliver's problems are much more severe than I originally anticipated. His mind is drifting from one reality to another, and he isn't sure which is which anymore. Its up to us to convince him that _this_ is reality, and his delusions about being a power ranger are all in his imagination," he explained.

Even in the restraints, Tommy put up a fight, kicking and screaming as much as he could, hoping to get free. Soon, the medication began to set in, and his mood shifted. He let out a frustrated sigh, realizing that he wouldn't be able to break out of his restraints. He glanced over at Amanda, trying to get a good look at her, but his vision was blurred, and his hair covered most of his face.

"H-Help me," he sighed.

She wanted to run over to him, to wrap her arms around him and tell him that she would do everything in her power to help, but Dr. Walsh wouldn't allow it. If she had any hope of getting out of medical school and becoming a full time physiatrist, she knew she'd need a letter of recommendation from him, and he wouldn't give it if he even suspected that she was emotionally attached to her patient.

"We are here to help you Tommy," Dr. Walsh grabbed a stool, sitting down in front of Tommy. "We need to find out why you're having these delusions. If we knew why your mind was manufacturing these images and these scenarios, we would be able to stop them from happening," he paused. "We're not going to talk about your life as a ranger Tommy, I want to talk about your family."

"My f-family…"

"Yes, tell me about your mother and father," he said.

"I never knew my mother and father, not my real parents at least. I was adopted, and…"

"Ah, so that's it."

"W-What's it?" Tommy asked with a groggy tone in his voice, making it obvious that the drugs had taken effect.

"You never knew your parents, and it no doubt made you feel unhappy, unloved, even unimportant," he brought up.

"Maybe I…"

"Your mind constructed these images as a way to make you feel important, useful. After all, what could be more important than protecting an entire city from danger?" he asked him.

"I…"

"Thomas, if this is going to work, if we're going to cure you, you need to understand that all of it is in your head, all of it."

"Its in… m-my head," he sighed.

The doctor nodded. "There are no power rangers, there never were. All of it was a part of your delusion, a reality your mind designed for you to make you feel useful," he explained to him.

"But… the others… Kim, Jason, Trini…"

"All of them were delusions Tommy. Your mind needed someone to cling to, a group of friends so that you'd feel accepted. I'm sorry, I know this must all be coming as quite a shock to you, and I know it's a lot for you to handle, but you have to believe me when I tell you, there were never any power rangers," he told him.

"All of it was… a lie?"

He nodded. "Yes. You are making remarkable progress today Tommy. I'll tell you what? How about you get some rest, and Amanda and I will come talk to you again tomorrow. How does that sound?" he asked.

"That would be nice," he sighed.

Dr. Walsh stood up, motioning for Amanda to follow him. The two of them exited the infirmary, stepping into the hallway.

"I told you, Tommy will make a full recovery," he assured her.

She smiled slightly. "It looks like it."

"I have another session I have to attend to, why don't you head on home? We've done some good work here today," he said.

"Yes, we have," she sighed.

* * *

There was a small window in the infirmary, just enough to give Tommy an idea of what time of day it was. Either the sun was beginning to set, or it was beginning to rise. Not that it mattered, since he'd completely lost track of the days since he'd been there. His mind was racing with conflicting thoughts. On one hand, he remembered his time as a ranger with great clarity. All of it made perfect sense to him. He'd been a ranger his entire adult life, and it was just as real to him as anything else. His friends, his relationships with Kimberly, with Katherine, and even eventually with Hayley, were all real to him. His time as the green ranger, the white ranger, the red ranger, even the black ranger, was as crystal clear in his mind as any other memory he had. On the other hand, he could recall with great clarity being in the asylum, being pumped full of drugs and questioned about his past.

There were just too many memories racing through his head. He could see all the faces, hear all the voices, all of it was swimming through his mind, all of it struggling to make its way to the forefront. Part of him welcomed the idea of being in an asylum. At least that way, with proper treatment, he could be helped. It meant that eventually, the voices would go away, and he could finally get on with his life… his real life.

Just then, out the corner of his eye, he saw something move passed the window. He wasn't sure what it was, or if he'd even seen anything at all. Things were so confusing for him, there was no way to be sure. Then, there was a shaking noise, and a figure began to move closer to him.

"Dr. O? Are you alright?" a voice asked.

Tommy tried to get a good look at whoever it was, but his vision was still blurry. He did, however, recognize the voice. "Ethan?" he called out.

"Yes, its me. Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of here," he told him, working on removing the restraints.

"Out of here," he repeated. The thought of being free, of finally getting out of the asylum, getting back to his life, all came rushing back to him. "No!"

"No what?"

The restraints were released, and Tommy rolled off the bed, backing into a corner. "I'm not going anywhere with you. You're not real," he said.

"Dr. O, its me, Ethan. Conner and Kira are outside right now, lets just…"

"NO! YOU'RE NOT REAL. NONE OF YOU ARE. LEAVE ME ALONE," he screamed to the top of his lungs, falling to his knees and holding his head in pain.

Ethan walked over to him, trying to help him up, but Tommy pushed him away. "I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Dr. O, I don't know what they've done to you in here, but…"

"YOU'RE NOT REAL!" he screamed.

"Dr. O… Tommy, please. Let me help you," Ethan said.

He reached out to help Tommy up, but Tommy gave him a leg sweep, knocking him over. Ethan hit his head on the side of the metal bed rail, knocking him out on impact. Tommy was on his feet, and two security guards opened the doors to the infirmary, getting a good look around. Before they could make a move, Tommy dived over the table, hitting a kick to the side of the head of one of them. The other reached for his nightstick, but Tommy grabbed the nightstick from the first guard, hitting the second over the head with it. With both of them down, Tommy rushed out the infirmary and down the hall, not quite sure of where he was trying to go.

For a brief moment, there was a flash of… something. Suddenly, he wasn't in the hospital anyone, it was his lab. Whatever was happening, he wasn't able to move, and everything was a bizarre bronze color. He tried to glance around, to figure out where he was, but the more he tried, the more he realized it was useless.

"Is there anything you can do for him?" a voice asked.

He recognized Kira's voice, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"I can run some tests, but until they come back from the lab, I won't know for sure," another voice said.

The next voice he recognized as Hayley, but again, he was unable to see where she was.

"HELP," he called out, trying to get their attention, anyone's attention.

He turned around, but suddenly, he wasn't in his lab anyone, he was back of the asylum. He had fallen, hitting his head on the side of a desk, and his head was bleeding badly.

"Don't worry Tommy, I'm here to help," a voice told him.

It was another voice he'd come to recognize. "A-Amanda?" he asked.

"Yes, its me. Lets get you out of here."


	6. Indulgence

_**Disclaimer:** Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and all related logos are property of Saban Entertainment and/or Disney Entertainment. I am using these characters without permission, but I do not intend to make a profit. If I do, I'll flee the country and refuse to pay royalties. _

_Take a second to review, its always appreciated._

_

* * *

_

Tommy opened his eyes, trying to determine where or _when_ he was, but quickly realized he couldn't move. Though he recognized his lab, everything was an amber/bronze-ish color. He tried to open his mouth, to say something, but either his mouth just didn't move, or it did and nothing came out. His mind was still racing with uncertainty, desperately looking for something real to cling to.

Sadly, there was nothing.

"Is he okay?" a voice asked.

Tommy recognized the voice; it was that of the blue ranger, Ethan James. While part of him had come to believe that Ethan, along with all the others, were only figments of his imagination, there was another part of him that didn't want to accept that.

"This internal scan should be able to tell us more," another voice said.

He knew who that was, none other than Hayley. For as long as he could remember, Hayley had been his dearest friend. While he was attempting to adjust to life after being a ranger, she was there to make the transition as painless as possible. He'd come to have a great deal of respect for Hayley, and after working side by side for so long, it was no shock to him that they developed feelings for one another. It broke his heart to think that everything he and Hayley had gone through together was all a lie. There was a humming sound, and a slight flash of light.

"What's the deal? He is frozen or something?"

It was another voice, a female voice. _'Kira,'_ he thought.

She sighed. "Not exactly. It's more like he's… fossilized, fused into this amber-like substance," Hayley said.

"Can you get him out?" Conner asked.

"Too risky. He's able to stay alive in there, but I'd hate to think what would happen if I broke him out,"

Tommy closed his eyes, concentrating on trying to move. He mustered up as much energy as he could, then lunged himself forward.

"Tommy!" a voice called out.

* * *

He opened his eyes, only to find himself on the floor. He was able to move, but his vision was blurry, and it was as if the entire room was spinning. He tried to get to his feet, but he stumbled back to the floor. Before he could try again, he felt someone help him up, setting him down on a couch.

"Are you okay?"

"A-Amanda…"

"Yes, its me," she said.

"W-Where am I?" he asked, trying to look around the room. It wasn't the asylum, it wasn't his lab. While he couldn't be sure of much, he knew he'd never been there before.

"This is my apartment. I brought you here after… that incident in the asylum. Do you remember any of it?" she asked.

He paused, trying to remember, hoping to recall the details of what happened to him, but his mind was drawing a complete blank. "No, sorry."

"You were having another one of your delusions. You attacked three of the guards; one of them is seriously injured. I was working late in the office when I heard a struggle. I came to the infirmary and there you were. I didn't want to put you back in your cell; I knew what they'd do to you. I panicked, and brought you here," she explained.

"You're going to… get in trouble."

"It doesn't mater. I know Dr. Walsh means well, but I don't think his method is going to work. If we're going to cure you, I think we should try another approach," she said.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I know you understand what's happening to you, and I think you _want_ to be here, but you need a reason to stay, a reason not to give in to your delusions," she suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"Your mind is creating these delusions in an attempt to give you something familiar to cling to. Your mind needs that, so it manufactures people you can feel comfortable with. It may all seem very convincing; everything see, smell, touch, taste, it _is_ real, in your mind. The people you encounter seem real, all of them with their own thoughts and beliefs, their own personallities, everything. If they delusions continue, they will become so real to you that you won't be able to differentiate what's real and what isn't. Your mind won't be able to process it all, and you'll, in essence, slip into a coma that you may never wake up from. But don't worry, I'm here to help you Tommy. I'll help you get through this," she told him.

"I-I'm so… so tired," he sighed, lying down. She sat on the couch, letting him rest his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair gently.

"In all the time we've been treating you, it never occurred to me that this was physically exhausting for you. Going from place to place in your mind, trying to distinguish which is real, it must be a lot for you to deal with," she said.

"No, that's not it," he paused. "All of it, I'm tired. All my life I've been what people expected me to be, what they needed me to be. I've sacrificed everything I ever wanted for what was necessary, for the greater good. Now, I'm just tired," he told her.

"But Tommy, it was all in…"

"… my mind?" he rolled over. "I don't know anymore, and I don't care. I just want it to be over," he sighed.

"You're talking about being a ranger, aren't you?" she asked.

"I-I'm… I mean, its…"

"Shhhhh, just relax. We've had a long enough day for now. Get some rest, and we'll figure out what we're going to do in the morning," she told him.

She leaned down to kiss him on the cheek, but he was already asleep.

* * *

"I know what you're thinking," Kimberly said.

Tommy opened his eyes, finding himself in Kim's apartment. His head was throbbing, and the more he tried to remember how he got there, the harder it got for him. His vision was distorted, but he managed to see that Kim was walking back and forth from her dresser, the closet and her bed as she packed.

"Y-You do?" he asked.

"You think I'm taking the easy way out, don't you?" she stopped, standing face to face with him. "We've been rangers for years, and it's been hard, and you think this is my excuse to give it all up, to just leave," she said.

He recalled having this conversation with Kimberly shortly before she went off to compete in the Pan Globals. She'd relinquished her morpher to Katherine, and never looked back. Part of him resented her for leaving, but he understood her desire to have a normal life.

"I don't think that."

"Yes you do, because I think it too, sometimes. Sometimes I'm just so tired of it Tommy, I just want to hand over my morpher and leave. I know we're doing good, saving lives, but at some point we should stop worrying about other people and do something for ourselves. You don't plan on being the white ranger forever, do you?" she asked.

"No, I was thinking some in red, maybe black," he sighed.

"Sooner or later, we have to give it up Tommy. We've done our part for the world, and its time for us to have lives of our own," she said. "We've gone from dino morphers to the power of ninjeti, but when is it time for a new group of rangers to take over?"

He paused, taking a minute to think about everything she'd said. She was right, at some point he would have to step down, to have a life of his own. After relinquishing the red turbo morpher to TJ, he thought it was over, but sadly, he couldn't escape the power for long. He'd gone to school, gotten over Kimberly and met someone else, moved on with his life. He finally thought that part of his life was over, but instead, he found himself a ranger again. This time, he was mentor to a group of younger rangers. Still, he couldn't help but wonder when it would finally be over. Even if they defeated Mesagog, eventually there would be another threat, something else forcing him out of retirement and back into the field.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that this couldn't be his life. He couldn't be the one who dedicates his entire life to saving the world on a daily basis. _"I know you understand what's happening to you, and I think you want to be here, but you need a reason to stay, a reason not to give in to your delusions."_ Echoed through his mind. Suddenly, it all made sense to him.

"You know what Kim, you're right. There have been times when we wanted to give up, to do something else with our lives. I've felt like giving up more than you know, but now I realize that we can't. We accepted the responsibility the day Zordon chose us to do this, and take it from someone who knows, you can't escape your destiny," he said.

"What are you saying? Fifteen years from now we'll still be rangers?"

"I'm saying that before we give it up, before we step down for good, we have to prepare a new generation to take our place. I'm tired too, and I'd love to have a life of my own someday, but not until this is over," he said.

"It'll never be able Tommy. Even if we do stop Lord Zedd and Rita, there will always be something else."

"That's the burden of what we do. We don't see the world as it is, but as he should be, and what it will be if we fight just one more day," he paused. "Yeah, we all get tired, but it took talking to you about to make me realize just how important it is that we keep fighting. Thank you," he said, then simply passed out.

"Oh my God, Tommy!" she cried, rushing over to check on him, but it was too late.

He was gone.


	7. Conclusion

_**Disclaimer:** Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and all related logos are property of Saban Entertainment and/or Disney Entertainment. I am using these characters without permission, but I do not intend to make a profit. If I do, I'll flee the country and refuse to pay royalties. _

_Take a second to review, its always appreciated.

* * *

_

Tommy opened his eyes slowly, only to find himself back in Amanda's apartment. His head was spinning, his vision was blurry, and his mind was still a little disorientated, but he was sure of where he was. He stood up, but the disorientation was too much for him, and he collapsed to the floor, going through a coffee table in the process.

Amanda, who was in the next room, hurried over to him. "Oh my God, are you okay?" she asked, helping him up. She sat him down on the couch, sitting next to him and putting his head on her shoulder. "Did it happen again? Where you somewhere else again?"

"I-I was with Kim," he sighed.

"Kim? Oh, you mean Kimberly Hart. She was your girlfriend, wasn't she?" she asked.

"Kind of. It was complicated."

"Tommy, I know your mind is playing tricks on you, and I know you think its all real, but…"

He cut short as he sat up. The disorientation was passing, and he was more aware of what was going on and where he was. "Amanda, I know now. I know what's happening to me," he said.

"This is great. This means you're on the road to recovery," she said eagerly.

Tommy stood up, looking around the room. It appeared to be a typical living room; a couch, a chair, a loveseat, even a coffee table (or at least what was left of it). The attention to detail was, to say the least, spectacular. It all seemed so real, so convincing.

"Amanda, none of this is real," he said.

"What?"

"I finally figured it out. This isn't real," he repeated.

She stood up, walking over to him, putting her hand gently on his face. "Tommy, we talked about this. I know how real your delusions must seem to you, your friends, your time as a ranger, but…"

He snatched away. "There have been times when I wanted out, when I was ready to call it quits and have a life of my own, but I can't. I have a duty, a destiny, and I have to…" this time, she interrupted him.

"I know it must seem real to you, but it isn't. You're sick Tommy, let me help you."

"What are your parent's names Amanda?" he asked.

"What?"

"Just answer the question."

"That's easy, my mom's name was…" she paused, but she wasn't sure why. "Her name was…"

"You don't remember, do you?"

"I-I don't…"

"None of this real Amanda. I created all of this; you, the hospital, all of it. This was going to be my easy out, a way for me to finally walk away from it all, but I can't. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to it, and there's no escaping my destiny," he said.

"But I… I mean, I'm…" she paused. "I don't understand."

"You said it yourself, the delusions will seem real, and will have their own personalities. I understand now what I have to do," he leaned in, kissing her warmly on the cheek.

"So what happens now? I mean…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Tommy's eyes glazed over, and he collapsed to the floor.

* * *

Tommy's eyes opened slowly, and for the first time, there was no disorientation at all. He tried to move, but soon discovered that he couldn't. He tried to look around, but he seemed to be stuck in… something. Everything was an odd, amber color, and no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't able to move.

"Come on Hayley," a voice said.

'_Ethan,'_ he thought to himself.

"Activating…" Hayley announced, walking over to a machine of some sort, hitting a series of switches.

Just then, a beam of light hit him, and there was a strange humming sound. He tried to speak, but again, either his mouth was moving at all, or it was but nothing was coming out. The light seemed to be getting brighter, and whatever was forcing him to hold still began to dissolve. Soon, everything looked clear to him. Whatever the amber color was, it had faded. There was a flash of light, an explosion of some kind, but his mind was still much too confused to figure out what it was or where it came from.

"The rock, its fried!" another voice said.

'_Kira,'_ he thought as his mind began to clear up.

"Yeah, but look…"

"It worked!" Kira squealed.

Hayley and the others rushed over to him, looking on in disbelief. There were still some things he was unsure of, but he knew he was in his lab. It all seemed so familiar to him, so real. Soon, the events leading up to that moment came rushing back to him. _'I was in a warehouse, the white ranger attacked me. He trapped me in some sort of amber rock,_' he thought. Tommy looked over at Hayley, who had a concerned look on her face, but it was also combined with a look of relief. Still unsure as to what exactly happened, he walked towards the group.

"Dr. O!" Conner exclaimed with excitement on his face.

"Awesome!" Ethan added.

"Good work guys," he nodded. "Power down!" Tommy announced.

But nothing happened.

"Huh?" he looked around, unsure as to why he hadn't reverted to his normal form. He saw the look of concern on Hayley's face return, but decided to try it again. "I said, _POWER DOWN!_" he repeated.

Still, nothing happened.

"I think we might have a problem," he sighed.

"Dr. O, I know the suit looks good and all, but quit foolin' around," Kira mentioned, hoping to lighten the mood.

"I wish I could Kira. When Trent froze me in that amber, somehow my dino gem and my morpher must have remolecularized," he speculated.

"In other words?" Conner asked.

"He's stuck," Hayley announced.

* * *

**That evening

* * *

**

"How long was I in there?" Tommy asked as he walked over to the couch, sitting down next to Hayley.

"Not even a day. The others found a meteor that allowed us to break you free."

"Only a day. It seemed like so much longer."

"Are you saying that the whole time you were in there, you were dreaming?" she asked him.

"It wasn't a dream, it all seemed so real. The sounds, the smell, the places. All of it was real," he told her.

"You were in an asylum, but you were traveling back and forth through time?"

"Not just time, but realities. Some of the events were familiar, but I don't remember actually doing any of them. Like the conversation I had with Kimberly about…" she cut him short.

"Kim was there?"

He nodded. "Yeah, she's the one who convinced me that I shouldn't give up, that what we do is worth fighting for," he said.

"I remember talking to you at school, you were always so glad that that part of your life was over. I know how much it meant to you to have a life of your own, but if I didn't know any better, I always felt like part of you missed being a ranger," Hayley said.

"Part of me did. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but there are times when I wonder if I'll ever get to settle down, get married, raise a family. I see the other rangers with their lives, and part of me wants that for myself. Kim eventually got married, Zach got married, Adam and Tanya have two kids now, and none of them ever look back. They did their part, and its over. Why is it never over for me?" he asked.

"It will be, after Mesagog is defeated."

"That's what I said when we defeated Zedd and Rita. We said it again when we stopped the machine empire, and I remember having this same talk with you before Andros and I led the other rangers to stop Mondo's generals from digging up Serpentera. Its never going to be over for me, is it? I can't escape the power for too long," he sighed.

"Its not a bad thing. You'll just have to find a way to do both. You can be a ranger and still have a family and friends. You never know, your children may grow up to be rangers someday," she said.

"I hope not."

"And who was this Amanda person?" Hayley asked, changing the subject.

"If I remember correctly, she was an intern when I was in the asylum," he paused. "I sort of had a crush on her," he confessed.

Hayley smirked slightly. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to demorph you. Its only a matter of time," she assured him.

He nodded. "I know. Thanks for not giving up on me back there."

"Never," Hayley smiled.

* * *

** END**


End file.
